Sunday, February 26, 2012

Greek outdoors movie theater "Cine Thisio" tops CNN list of world's best

The best movie theaters always make the movie better. You could be watching the third re-run of your own birth, but if you're snuggled into a soft seat with buttery popcorn in your lap and a sound system that feels like its channeled directly into your temporal lobe, somehow you'll come out feeling like you had a good time. For the global jet-setting movie junkie, these are some movie theaters that take a good experience and make it great.



1. Cine Thisio, Athens, Greece

Cine Thisio
Movie magic as close to Mount Olympus as possible.

Athens is home to multiple outdoor movie theaters that crop up during the summer but none provide as majestic a view as Cine Thisio.

From your seat at Cine Thisio you not only get to view the latest blockbuster but also the Acropolis, and the Parthenon that sits on top. The best view is at night.

Cine Thisio is the oldest outdoor movie theater in Athens, built in 1935, and is usually open from April to October. Cine Thisio shows both first-run studio releases and classic movies.

Apostolou Pavlou 7, Thission, Athens 11851, Greece; +30 210 342 0864; www.cine-thisio.gr

 

2. Alamo Drafthouse, Texas, United States

Alamo Drafthouse event
 
Don't worry, you don't have to dress lik\e a hipster wrestler for all Alamo events.

It shouldn’t make sense that a movie theater chain has such street cred, but Alamo Drafthouse does. Think of it as the cool kid brother movie theater.

Alamo Drafthouse started out in Austin, Texas, and hosts a whole series of events including Heckle Vision, Quote Alongs and nights where experts rip apart Michael Bay popcorn blockbusters.
But what makes the Alamo theaters really cool are its policies: no children under the age of six, no talking, an extremely strict no-cellphone policy (as this curse-laden voicemail left by an unhappy customer demonstrates) and no ads before the movie.

This is a movie theater experience as it should be: the movie you pay for, zero annoyances and great food and beers being served to your seat.

1120 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, Texas 78704, United States; +1 512 476 1320; www.drafthouse.com



3. Raj Mandir Theatre, Jaipur, India

Raj Mandir theater
 
Housing 1,200 seats, the show place for the nation.

Come here for the ultimate Bollywood experience: the national anthem at the start, a choice of expensive and cheaper seats, the three-hour Hindi flick bisected with an interlude and applaud along with the locals whenever the hero shows up on screen.

With its pink Art Deco-inspired exterior made up of waves and asymmetrical shapes, the Raj Mandir is a symbol of Jaipur, a city laid out beautifully from its founding in the 18th century.

It opened in 1976, seats around 1,200 and usually fills up. With ticket prices around Rs100 (US$1.90), this won't be your most luxurious movie outing, but it will definitely rank among the most memorable.

Ashok Nagar, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India; +91 141 260 5267



4. Kino International, Berlin, Germany

Kino International
 
There's beauty in the straight lines and right angles.

A remnant of the Cold War, Kino International dates back to Germany's socialist period. Today Kino International boasts a well-rounded art-house program and hosts a strong list of premieres, festivals and parties.

The movie theater is situated along Karl Marx Allee, where entire blocks of buildings carry heritage status and are protected by the Denkmalschutz in Berlin.

This heritage status means that the outside façade of Kino International, along with its interior furnishings, cannot be altered.

33 Karl-Marx Allee, Berlin 10178, Germany; +49 030 24756011; www.kino-international.com


5. 4DX, Seoul, South Korea

4DX theater
 
All of the latest in movie technology housed in one theater.

4DX bills itself as the first 4-D movie theater in the world that screens studio releases, taking 3-D movies to the next level by introducing movement and scent, as well as wind and water effects.
Sitting through amusement park-type effects for such a long time may not be suitable for everyone, and people with heart disease, back pains, pregnant women and children under one meter are discouraged from entering.

4DX aims to “free” the moviegoer by connecting with the characters on screen, placing them into the shoes of the protagonist by feeling what he feels.

4DX theaters are now part of 14 CGV locations all over Korea. Tickets for the 4-D screenings start at ₩14,000 (US$12).

Hoishan Chan


Source: CNN

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